Lean on me
by ChocoBetty
Summary: A little story about Stella, set at the end of “All Access” and afterwards. Spoilers for this episode included.


**Lean on me**

**Summary:** A little story about Stella, set at the end of "All Access" and afterwards. Spoilers for this episode included.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI:NY. I just love to take the characters and write something about them. I don't own the songs that inspired me to this fic. They are the property of their writers.

**Authors note:** Inspired by the song "Lean on me". I know it from the movie "28 Days". Another song that I took for a single line in this is "You've got a friend" by Carole King. I think both just fitted in to well to not be used. "Lean on me" just had to be the title of this story as well.

**Beta:** Bri - Thank you so much for doing this for me!

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**Lean on me**

Stella thought she could take it. She thought she would be able to get back to her apartment, even after all that Frankie had done to her. She prided herself on being a strong person and as such, she just couldn't imagine not going back to the place where everything happened. But she wasn't as strong as she thought she would be. She had just entered her place when everything came back: The bad memories: How she had entered her home and Frankie was there, how he went after her when she tried to escape and how he hit her, how he smacked her in the face.

She tried to tidy up her place a little bit but she just had to face the fact that she wasn't strong enough. Frankie broke her. He broke her strength with every hit, every little thing he did to her. She was close to tears when she just threw some pieces of clothing in the bag on her bed. She knew she had to get away from this place.

Mac had offered her to take a hotel room. But Stella didn't want to be at a place she was not familiar to, where nobody was there. The though of being somewhere unfamiliar and alone scared her, almost to the point of panic. She thought it would be easier being at home, but she has been proven wrong. It was hell. Maybe a hotel room wasn't that bad, but it still scared her. Being alone would be… She couldn't even describe it how it would feel like. All the time after the incident with Frankie somebody had been around her, and now she was on her own.

This wouldn't work. She was so glad that Flack had been with her all the time at the hospital. And than she wasn't able to show her weakness to Mac. She should have been able, but she just couldn't. She simply refused to let him see how much this all has shaken her. He offered her all the help, but he didn't offer her the one thing that she really needed at that point of time: A friend. Somebody she could lean on.

A last view on the sculpture that Frankie had made for her. She couldn't stand seeing it. It felt like a great burden was taken from her shoulders when she left her apartment. Outside she waved for a cab. Immediately one stopped. When she saw that it was a female driver she was really relieved. She gave her the address and just leaned back in the seat, her bag next to her. Not knowing how she or he would be reacting when she would arrive.

Stella knew that it maybe was a mistake doing this, but she just had to. She needed somebody to be with, she needed a friend. And the only person she could think of was he.

Standing on Mac's doorstep she was tempted to turn around and leave. She knew she had been strong to get to this place, so she knocked. The moment Mac opened the door she just fell into his arms and started crying. The tears where rushing down her face, over her cheeks. And there was nothing she could do to stop them. Mac just wrapped his arms around her, giving her his strength with this hug. He held her while he led her into his apartment, closing the door before going to his sofa. There was only one thing he could do: Being there for her.

He handed her a handkerchief, she gave him a little smile, thankful that he was there. He didn't ask anything, unusual for somebody who is a Detective. But he just felt that she didn't need anymore questions. Flack had interrogated her while she was in the hospital. Mac received all the details he required from Flack. It was Don who told him how hard it was for Stella to talk about it. He just didn't want to torture her more.

_If she wants to talk she will talk._

That was all he could think of while he was still holding her. Maybe all that was required was that he was there. He let Stella know that she had a friend that he was there. And Mac was already sorry for not telling her this earlier. Don was there and it just didn't feel right. So he was in his typical boss-modus telling her that she would have to stay away from work for some time. And there was that smile when he told her about the hotel room so that he didn't tell her that she could come to him at his place. He thought that maybe Stella just wouldn't want to be around a man.

Now he knew that he should have given her a hug. It was too late to change things now. The only thing he could do at this moment was be there for her. And he did. By holding her nearly all night, letting her cry, offering her tea, coffee, water, holding her once more.

At some point she rested her head in his lap. He let it happen. It was Stella, his friend, and he was her friend. They had gone through so many things and they would get through this one as well.

_Lean on me, when you're not strong, I'll give you strength to carry on…_

That was exactly what he would be doing.

_**- The End -**_


End file.
